BOUM PATAT is the eccentric, electrifying creation of Olivier Wittenberg, a veteran of the Belgian metal scene, known for his work as drummer and composer with the band Manic Movement. Having toured across Europe in the 2000s alongside metal giants like Kreator, Moonspell, and Psychotic Waltz, and gracing iconic stages such as Graspop Metal Meeting, Wittenberg now returns with BOUM PATAT — and with a good sense of humor.
By Sandra Pinto
“Ma Belgitude” is a bold and unique album that defies genre conventions, blending groove metal, industrial, and electronic elements with a touch of irreverence. Through his Electro-Fun-Metal, he merges Belgian culture with metal influences, creating a sound that reflects both his personality and life experience. In the following interview, Wittenberg talks about the creative process behind “Ma Belgitude,” the importance of humor in his music, and how the project evolved from a solo effort into a live band, with the addition of Laurent Soulasse and Maxime Demulder.
“Ma Belgitude” is a wild and genre-defying album. Can you take us through your creative process when you were writing and producing this record? How did you manage to blend groove metal, industrial, and electronic elements so seamlessly?
I drew inspiration from my country, from my ‘Belgitude,’ and I brought in my metal influences, the metal I’ve been listening to and that I still listen to today, and I put all of that into a universe that belongs to me and that defines my Belgitude.
The term “Electro-Fun-Metal” is used to describe BOUM PATAT’s sound. What does that mean to you, and how does it shape the attitude of your music?
Let’s say ‘Electro’ comes from the fact that I also use electronic sounds, inspired by the new beat music created in Belgium in the late ’80s and ’90s. That dark side of that music really inspired me. I combined that with my metal influences, because metal is still the music I listen to the most. I wanted to do something a bit different from the usual and inject some humor, and that’s how BOUM PATAT Electro-Fun-Metal came to be.
The album is filled with humor and absurdity, which sets it apart from more serious, conventional metal. How important is humor in your music, and how do you balance it with the heavy, aggressive elements?
I wanted something honest that reflects me and my world, my friends, and our way of seeing things. The guitarist, for example, is also the guitarist from my old band Manic Movement, and we’ve always had a pretty dark, kind of Belgian-style humor. Sometimes it’s tied to certain regions like Wallonia, where there are actors whose humor we love, and it’s really our kind of humor. I told myself I’m not going to make just another black or death metal band, there are already plenty of those. I have some experience now, and I thought, why not do a bit like Rammstein did with ‘Dicke Titten’ or ‘Keine Lust,’ not take ourselves too seriously, and add our own sense of humor into the music. It’s a formula that’s pretty honest.
You wrote, performed, and produced the entire album solo. Was this a deliberate choice to keep the vision raw and unfiltered, or was it more about convenience and creativity?
Over the years I met people, producers like Attibo, who worked for Manic Movement and also produced bands like Scorpions, The Gathering, Channel Zero, and many others. Little by little, that got me interested in production. So between the end of Manic Movement and the start of this new album, BOUM PATAT, I started producing a lot and investing in studio gear. It gives me freedom in terms of time and creativity to work and achieve a result like BOUM PATAT.
Tracks like “Boum Patat” and “Putain De Moustique” really show the fusion of Belgian culture with metal. How does your background and experience in Belgium influence the themes or sounds of this album?
It was a choice to take my Belgian experiences and inject them into my music. I think every country has its clichés—France has the Eiffel Tower, Belgium has the Manneken Pis, Italy has the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and so on. I took everything that has touched me in my life—well, my life isn’t over, of course, but you know what I mean—everything that has left an impression on me, the pride, the darker sides, the voyeurism on certain TV shows, the Rue d’Aerschot in Brussels known for its red-light district—all of that inspired me. I didn’t want to make another metal band singing about the devil or the usual black or death metal clichés. Sure, I did a track called ‘666,’ but in a more
humorous way. That’s what I wanted to say.
BOUM PATAT started as your solo project, but you now perform live with Laurent Soulasse and Maxime Demulder. How has the live dynamic changed the way you approach the music, and how does the trio amplify the energy of the songs?
The first person who joined me was Jérémy Vasil, my former guitarist. I asked him to come and add his guitars to my album. Everything was already composed and finished, but he came in and added his parts. Then, at first, the idea was just to make an album at home, period. But people around me, including the guitarist and others, said it would be a shame not to represent this live. So we started looking for a bassist and a drummer, and then Laurent Soulasse joined in, and Maxime Demulder on drums. And that’s how the live adventure began.
As a veteran of the Belgian metal scene, you’ve toured with some iconic bands like Kreator and Moonspell. How did those experiences shape your own musical journey, and how do they influence the sound and presence of BOUM PATAT?
Yes, I toured with them in the past with Manic Movement and many other bands too. Did they influence me? I don’t really want to say I directly took influences from Kreator or Moonspell for my album—not really. But maybe indirectly, yes. I’ve always been a big fan of Iron Maiden, and I liked the early Gothenburg scene with In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, and I enjoy black metal like Cradle of Filth. Moonspell and Kreator weren’t really at the top of my list as a purist fan back then. But of course, indirectly, playing shows every day with them and living with them in a tour bus, I guess every little speck of dust around you has an impact on your life influences. Now I’m getting a bit philosophical here, but you know what I mean. Everything influences you. For example, if I composed in a barn surrounded by chickens, ducks, and pigs, that would indirectly influence the music too.
Live performances are often where the full power of a band’s energy is unleashed. What can fans expect from a BOUM PATAT show, and how do you bring the chaotic energy of the album to life on stage?
Once again, we’ll try to bring in the humorous universe. For example, we have a backdrop with little spermatozoids on it, just to give a small example. We’re going to avoid clichés and try to wow the crowd by conveying emotions, fun mixed with aggressiveness, seriousness, cynicism, and so on. Right now, since the project is just starting, I can’t tell you exactly how it will go—it’s too early. But I think our mission is to be honest on stage. We won’t overthink how to stand or what to say. If we feel like positioning ourselves a certain way or saying something to the audience, it will be honest and genuine. We’ve done one concert so far, and we’ll be releasing the live video of that show soon, so you’ll get a little idea.
